Coupling means



1955 R. G. SCHAAF, JR 2,700,283

COUPLING MEANS Filed Oct. 8, 1949 ATTORNEY United States Patent COUPLING MEANS Rudolph G. Schaaf, Jr., deceased, late of Monmouth Beach, N. J., by Helen Louise Schaaf, executrix, Monmouth Beach, N. J., assignor to Jaeger Watch (Jornpany, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application October 8, 1949, Serial No. 120,266

3 Claims. (Cl. 64-15) This invention relates to timepieces and more particularly to clocks which are especially adapted for panel mounting such as, for example, on dash boards of automobiles, airplanes, marine craft, and other vehicles.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a novel coupling for rotatable parts adapted for use in a clock structure wherein the movement is arranged as a separate detachable unit to permit inspection, cleaning, adjustment, etc. of said movement without having to disturb the time indicating mechanism or without necessitating removal of the entire clock structure from its supporting panel.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a clock structure of the above character novel simplified selfaligning and self-engaging coupling means for the detachable movement, whereby connection of said movement with and disconnection of the same from the time indicating mechanism is facilitated, and any misalignment of said movement within limits is automatically compensated.

A further object is to provide coupling means of novel construction for drivably connecting two axially spaced driving and driven members, such as the movement spindle and hands spindle, respectively, of a clock, whereby a positive drive devoid of all backlash will be transmitte to the driven member.

The above and further objects and novel features of the present invention will more fully appear from the following detailed description when the same is read in connection with the accompanying drawing. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawing is for the purpose of illustration only, and is not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention.

In the drawing, wherein like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a panel mountable clock embodying the present invention; and

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, the present invention is illustrated, by way of example, as embodied in an electric clock of the type which is adapted for mounting in a panel, such as the dash board of an automobile, airplane, marine craft, or other vehicle, said panel or dash board being provided with a suitable opening for this purpose, and said clock being operated by electrical energy from a storage battery. It is to be understood, however, that the present invention may be incorporated in other types of devices and particularly in various other types of clocks which may or may not be adapted for panel mounting and wherein the motive energy is supplied by spring means.

In existing clocks of the panel mountable type, when it is required to inspect, clean, or otherwise service the movement of the clock, the entire clock must be removed from its supporting panel or dash board. This leaves an unsightly gaping hole in the panel or dash board which is objected to and which sometimes exists over a long period. It is accordingly a purpose of this invention to overcome this condition by providing a clock wherein the movement is arranged as a separate detachable unit so that the latter only need be removed when necessary without disturbing the time indicating mechanism or unit from its mounting on the panel or dash board.

The clock in conjunction with which the invention is illustrated comprises a time indicating unit generally indicated at 5 which is adapted to be secured to the back of a panel or dash board (not shown) with an outer annular portion thereof projecting through a suitable opening in said panel or dash board, a movement unit generally indicated at 6 which is detachably secured to the unit 5, and novel coupling means generally indicated at 7 for drivably connecting unit 6 with unit 5.

The time indicating unit 5 comprises a metallic casing 8 within which is suitably secured a metallic plate 9 provided with downwardly projecting bearings 10 andll, and upwardly projecting spacer-posts 12. Secured to posts 12 is a dial 13 of plastic or other suitable material, and cooperating with said dial are time indicating minute and hour hands 14 and 15, respectively. The minute hand 14 is fixed on the upper end of a shaft or spindle 16 which is journalled in bearing 10 and projects upwardly therefrom through aligned openings in plate 9 and dial 13 to receive said hand. Spindle 16 also projects beyond the lower end of bearing 10 for a purpose to appear hereafter. Disposed between plate 9 and dial 13 and rotatably supported by said plate is a reduction gear train 17 for operating the hour hand 15, said gear train including a gear 18 fixed on spindle 16 and a gear 19 fixed on a sleeve 20 which is rotatably mounted on spindle 16 and carries the hour hand 15.

Located above and in spaced relation with the hands 14, 15 is at protecting plate 21 of clear glass or the like material which is yieldingly clamped by means of a rubber or the like gasket 22 within a metallic bezel consisting of inner and outer members 23 and 24, respectively. Bezel 23, 24 is, in turn, yieldingly clamped by means of a rubber or the like gasket 25 to the casing 8, said gasket being engaged over the outer edge of member 23, and member 24 being provided with a surrounding rim 26 from which projects several tabs 27 which are bent over an external flange 28 on casing 8.

Journalled in bearing 11 and projecting upwardly therefrom through aligned openings in plate 21, gasket 22 and bezel 23, 24 is a spring-pressed stem 29 provided on its upper end with an operating knob 30. Secured to stem 29 is a gear 31 which is adapted to mesh with a gear 32 when said stem is pulled outwardly to set the hands 14, 15. Gear 32 is rotatably mounted on plate 9 and meshes with one of the gears of the gear train 17. The spring 33 for stem 29 surrounds the lower projecting end of the latter and yieldingly urges said stem inwardly to normally hold gear 31 out of mesh with gear 32.

The interior of casing 8 is illuminated by a lamp 34 which projects into said casing through a suitable opening in the end wall thereof and is carried in a socket 35 which is releasably held to said casing by suitable spring clips 36. A hood 37 of translucent glass or the like material encloses the lamp 34, said hood being carried in a suitable manner by casing 8. A gasket 38 of rubber or the like material is disposed between hood 37 and the end Wall of casing 8.

The movement unit 6 of the clock comprises a metallic casing 39 provided at the upper open end thereof with an external flange 40. Casing 39 is detachably secured to casing 8 of unit 5 through the medium of machine screws 41, one only being shown, which pass through bayonet notches in the flange 40 and are threaded into suitable threaded openings in the end Wall of casing 8. A gasket 42 of rubber or the like material is disposed between the casings 8 and 39. Disposed within casing 39 and secured in a suitable manner to the lower end wall of said casing is a clock movement indicated generally at 43 which may be of any Well known conventional spring operated or electrically operated type. A detail illustration and description of the movement 43 is, therefore, believed to be unnecessary, except to state that the center driving shaft or spindle thereof, indicated at 44, is, in accordance with the present invention, extended to project upwardly beyond the frame structure of said movement and is externally threaded at the upper end thereof, for a purpose to be presently described.

In the illustrated embodiment, the movement 43 is of the type which is adapted for operation by electrical energy from a storage battery, said movement being con nected to one side of said battery through a lead wire 45', and to the other side of the battery through the casings 8 and 39. The movement 43 is so located within casing 39 that the axis of spindle 44 is in direct axial alignment with the axis of spindle 16 when the units 5 and 6 are secured together. It will be apparent that the movement unit 6 may be detached from the time indicating unit 5 without disturbing the latter or its mounting on the panel or dash board, and this may be accomplished by simply loosening the screws 41 and slightly turning unit 6 relative to unit 5.

The novel coupling means 7 for drivably connecting the movement 43 of unit 6 with the time indicating mechanism of unit 5 comprise a block 46 which is secured in any suitable manner as, for example, by a press fit, to the lower projecting end of spindle 16. Block 46 is provided in its lower end with a V-shaped transverse groove 47 terminating in a narrow transverse parallel slot 48, said V groove and said slot opening outwardly through opposite sides of said block.

The coupling block 46 is connected to the movement spindle 44 by a coupling link 49. This link 49 is made of a resilient material, such as piano wire, and is formed to have a substantially U-shaped loop providing interconnected upper and lower arms 50 and 51, respectively, with the lower arm 51 terminating in a plurality of closely wound coils 52 capable of threadedly receiving the upper threaded end of the movement spindle 44. The

link 49 is connected to the movement spindle 44 by means of the coils 52 which are threaded on the upper threaded end of said spindle, and said link is connected to the minute hand spindle 16 through engagement of a free end portion of the arm 50 of said link in the slot 48 in the coupling block 46. Spindle 16 is thus drivably connected to the movement spindle 44 for rotation thereby through the coupling 7 comprising the block 46 and spring-link 49. The threads on the upper end of spindle 44 are so cut, and the coils 52 of link 49 are so correspondingly wound that said coils tend to tighten on said spindle upon rotation of the latter in the operation of the clock. The width of the slot 48 in block 46 is such that the arm 50 of link 49 will slidably fit the same without any noticedescribed in the foregoing specification, it is to be expressly understood that the same is not limited thereto. Various features of the invention may be incorporated in other specific types of time-measuring and indicating devices and other structures, and various changes may be made in the illustrated structure, particularly in the design and arrangement of the parts, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as will now be clear to those skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

1. In apparatus of the class described, a driving shaft, a driven shaft axially spaced from said driving shaft, and coupling means for drivably connecting said shafts comprising a substantially U-shaped spring wire member having the free end of one arm thereof coiled and threadedly engaged with the threaded end of one of said shafts and the free end of the other arm thereof extending trans versely of the axis of rotation in a transverse slot in the end of the other of said shafts.

2. In apparatus of the class described, rotatable driving means, rotatable driven means, and coupling means for operatively connecting said driving and driven means, one of said rotatable means having a transverse slot therein facing the other of said rotatable means, and a substantially U-shaped spring wire member having the free end of one arm thereof operatively connected to the said other of the rotatable means and the free end of the other arm thereof extending transversely of the axis of rotation in said slot, the free end of said one arm being coiled and threadedly engaged with said other rotatable means to effect the operative connection therebetween.

3. In apparatus of the class described, a power unit including a shaft projecting therefrom and externally threaded on the end thereof, a driven unit including a able backlash. Additionally, the arms 50, 51 of link 49 are so spaced that the arm 50 is clear of the inner end wall of slot 48 when the units 5 and 6 are coupled together, ttlitus avoiding any axial thrust on the spindles 16 and It will thus appear that when the units 5 and 6 are coupled together, the spring-link 49 will be automatically aligned with and guided into the slot 48 in block 46 by the V-groove 47 in said block, thus automatically effecting the driving connection between said units. The selfaligning, self-engaging, as well as self-releasing connection afforded by the U-shaped spring-link 49 and the slot 48 further compensates for any axial misalignment of the spindles 16 and 44.

Although only a single embodiment of the invention has been illustrated in the accompanying drawing and shaft projecting therefrom toward said power unit shaft, and coupling means for operatively connecting said shafts, said coupling means comprising a member fixed on said driven unit shaft and having a transverse slot therein terminating in a transverse V-groove facing said driving unit shaft, and a substantially U-shaped spring link having the free end of one arm thereof engaged in said slot and the free end of the other arm thereof provided with a plurality of coils threadedly engaged with said driving unit shaft.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,506,072 McCain Aug. 26, 1924 30 1,874,967 Greenleaf Aug. 30, 1932 2,491,453 Knobel Dec. 13, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 570,282 Germany Feb. 14, 1933 

